Hundreds gather for anti-fracking march in Manchester (PHOTOS, VIDEO)

Hundreds of protesters marched through Manchester, England on Sunday in what is believed to be one of the largest anti-fracking rallies to take place in the UK.

A recent survey carried out by the Manchester Evening News found
that 73 percent of Greater Manchester residents are opposed to
the controversial gas extraction technique – so on Sunday at
noon, up to 1,000 demonstrators gathered in downtown to march
from Piccadilly Gardens to Cathedral Gardens.

Many of the speakers and demonstrators included members of the
long-standing Barton Moss protest camp in neighboring Irlam, just
south of Manchester. There, energy firm IGas is carrying out test
drilling to explore potential shale gas reserves beneath the
green belt site at Barton Moss.

The purpose of the march in Manchester was to send a clear
message to the government and energy companies that the vast
majority of Britons oppose fracking, Martin Porter, a spokesman
for the Barton Moss camp and a member of Frack Free Greater
Manchester, told the Manchester Evening News.

“The purpose of the day is to send a message out that we
don’t want fracking in Manchester or anywhere else. At the
moment, Barton Moss is at the center of attention across the
country but before long two thirds of people in England and Wales
might find a fracking rig on their doorstep,” Porter said.

Extraction by fracking involves pumping millions of gallons of
water and chemicals into the ground, which creates excess hydro
waste. This might lead to an eventual contamination of the water
table, local residents worry.

But supporters say fracking brings jobs and opportunities for
energy independence – though detractors have pointed to
exaggerated employment claims and health risks related to the
chemicals used in the practice.

But despite the government – in connection with energy firms –
offering a £100,000 (US$167,000) sweetener for local communities
where test drilling for shale is carried out, the public remains
opposed to fracking, with many communities taking to the streets
in protest.

Sarah Firth carried out her own poll on Twitter, in which she
asked the question, “Do you support the Prime Minister's decision
for the UK to go 'all out for shale?' Yes or No?” She tweeted
that the overwhelming majority of people said “No.”

Ok well 'No' camp is well ahead in my #fracking#twitter
poll! Anyone want to put forward a counter arguement. What
about energy security?

“We’ve only had a handful of exploratory drilling sites
across the UK, but already we’ve seen huge local opposition.
People do not want this in their local community and they don’t
want it anywhere else,” Helen Rimmer from Friends of the
Earth told RT.